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welp bought a 83 zx tranny but lookin like i got a pre 80's, verification of my sadness please...


jrock4224

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WTB 81-83 280zx tranny ... cash or trade for pre 80's 5sp tranny ... lol sigh 

 

 

I read pre op tranny.... :lol: 

 

 

My 4x4 has the longer 5th and it sux. 1 - 4 are great, the gap to 5th is always causing me to downshift to 4th on the freeway, my last trans (early z-car) did not have this problem. 

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There are three ratios available with the 'widest' being spread between a 3.592 first and the 1 to 1 forth. The 'mid' range has a 3.321 first and the 'close' is the zx box with a 3.062 first. 

 

The 'wide' has the most grunt on take off but the largest RPM drop on shifts. First is so low that is is only useful if starting from a stop. It's used primarily on trucks. Overdrive is about 16%

 

The 'mid' is a good all round gear for everything. Overdrive 5th is about 12%

 

The 'close' ratio (used only on the '80 and up non turbo zx) has least take off grunt, so good for use on larger displacement, higher torque engines. More useful on the track or where there are few stops and starts and first is high enough that it can be used for tight corners. All gear shifts have less RPM drop between shifts keeping the engine up closer to the power band. The 25% overdrive is only good for highway cruise.

 

Forth gear is the exact same on all three transmissions.

 

I know which is the close. What do the other 2 come from?

 

The mid sounds like a decent set-up. 

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I know which is the close. What do the other 2 come from?

 

The mid sounds like a decent set-up. 

 

L series mid ratio were installed on... (don't forget they could have been changed in the last 37 years)

 

'77-'78 (not '79) 620s

'78-'84 810 and Maxima

'77-'78 280z

'79 280zx

 

Z and CA series mid ratios (just swap an L series case on the front)

most 720 2wd  with Z24 engines, not 4x4 or diesel nor the Cab/Chassis option. Short and long so watch out for length

'80-'81 S110 200sx

'84.5-'86 non turbo S12 200sx

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Its your own fualt for getting a third back, I offered to buy it back in full. Thanks for flying off thw handle and bashing me before you talked to me last night. Btw, if you dont want that nardi, ill gladly give you your 65 back on it.

I agree these options weren't followed through.

 

 

Send it back.

 

 

May not have known what it was, may have been told that by someone else, it could have been swapped in years ago, maybe he thought all 280sx's had the tall OD.

 

 

Continue with the swap, why not? Get it running and if you really feel the need, keep looking and find another. The heavy lifting will be done and you can swap it in later, in a morning. I'm willing to bet you find the mid ratio just fine.

 
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I like the earlier 5 speed for racing, if you gear the rear to use 5th. The tube frame car in my avatar used one and a 5.10 final drive. Worked great on the local road courses.

 

I have a 79 truck 5 speed which has something like a .882 OD 5th. but a bigger gap 3 to 4. Not sure what happens to ratios if you swap the input/forward cluster gears.

 

A buddy and I did play with swapping internal gears of various ratios between gearboxes on paper and the results made for some pretty funky gaps between gears. I think he ended up with something like a .71 OD that he used behind his LZ22 powered 510 for long trip to thru Canada.

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Its your own fualt for getting a third back, I offered to buy it back in full. Thanks for flying off thw handle and bashing me before you talked to me last night. Btw, if you dont want that nardi, ill gladly give you your 65 back on it.

 

i paid u 100 for the nardi ... i do remember that ... and i said i would handle it .. its not the money ted its the part ... i wanted a 83 zx tranny we verified it was that year car

 ... at some point someone swapped the tranny and we, me mainly, never bother to check till 18 month's longer... i assumed u knew what it was when u took it out .. its not that big a deal ... im not gonna put u in a bind financially over a mistake we both made... its fine .. its gone ... the guy low balled me i talked him up .. he made it sound like my price was gonna put him in the poor house then drove up in a 2015 crew cab chevy on 22's ...lol .. its what ever.... just do what u said and keep a eye out for the right tranny for me please... 

 

i can tell you the z car guy up north who sells the seat belts, tons of z car shit... and has a web site .. hes a jerk ... wanted to argue trannys then told me 850 .... for a unknown working one .. i wsa like ummm yeah im good sir thanks have a good day .....

 

mike ... the car its four is gonna be a slush box at least thru the summer.. i bought everything else but the pedals to swap the tranny in ... honestly i wanna get the vinyl top on and lowered before i worry about the tranny .. i was just pretty irritated with myself and the situation when i finally bothered to check and found out it wasnt what i thought .... 

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I agree these options weren't followed through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

all good info .. its nots ted responsibility to refund something i coulda checked when it showed up .. i trust ted and had no reason to question ... its not anyones fault but my own for jumping to conclusions... keep a eye out for this tranny please ted as we discussed and hopefully we all can collectively wipe my ass and help me get back to where i wanted to be ...and yes i agree this thread was a little premature ... but i was upset .. i needed ratsun to vent 

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oh and pretty sure this car has a 4.11 ratio in it (as most auto cars)... as apposed to the typical 3.90 of a 5 speed car too which isalso why i wanted the taller gear ... oh and if u call the z car dude dont ever call 5th gear over drive.... it pisses him off ... "i only know it as a taller gear"  lol wut?

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if the speedo cog bolt is at 6 colcok and there's one tab its a post 80s tranny ...and ive done that to two trannys and it sucks 

 

 

i will just leave that door open for someone to close ^^^^^

Yes post '80 but not necessarily a zx.

 

Put in first gear and turn the input shaft 20 times while counting the outoput turns.

 

5 turns is the zx close ratio

5.5 is the mid ratio

6 turns is the wide ratio

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  • 4 weeks later...

Problem solved ... 83 close ratio tranny headed to me from north carolina via ups ... please be careful with it shipping gods..... ted is paying 95 percent of my cost ... trolololololololol just kidding ted is the man either way ....kinda wish i woulda kept that 77-79 tranny for another project now ... 

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The BW is somewhere between the 71B and the 71C for strength but is not the 'World Class' T5 used in the 5.0. I would call it a wide ratio, similar to the truck 71B with a huge RPM drop into second. It's physically larger (even longer) and heavier than a B or C. It's cheap to rebuild. Not that common so easier to find a 300zx (non turbo) and put an L series front case on it.

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Early Ford 5.0 used a non-World Class T5 good for 265 lb-ft of torque. Later WC versions were stronger (1987 mustang had 300 ft lb torque).

 

Nissan FS5R90A was also a borg-warner T5, and reportedly only weighs 75 lbs -- less than a dogleg 5-speed.

 

The best thing about the T5 is any gearset you want is available, even super-close ratio.

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It has the characteristics of being an '80 or newer 71B transmission. I assume it has the L series front case.

 

 

 

all this discussion about zx trannys......

anybody need an auto?

will go to scrap yard if no interest.

130k....lazy 2-3 shifts

 

But is it a zx turbo automatic? That I would take off your hands.

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